Forty young transgender folk in Chhattisgarh, a state in central India, left their jobs and homes when the local government announced a recruitment drive for trans police officers. Many of the applicants had previously been harassed or tortured by the police – but the promise of work, respect and escaping the fate of many trans people in India meant they still sought to join the police. They hoped that wearing a police uniform would give them a better future, because many trans people in India rely on begging and sex work to survive in a society that still heavily discriminates against trans people. “Wherever we go, there will be pride,” Rakesh Sori, 26, one of the recruits, told The New York Times. “Those who do not talk to us will want to talk to us.”